Social media has been rife with criticism of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, even from those members of the public who loved her. It represents money wasted in a nation facing financial crisis and the obliteration of all other news — not the least of which is the devastating flood damage in Britain’s former colony of Pakistan, which is also a member of the Commonwealth.
Brian electrified us with his commitment to the politics and ethics of documentary and journalism, his mission to rewire academia as a place to galvanize hearts and minds, his interrogation of everything written or filmed or said and his insistence that solidarities matter more than anything else.
The semi-fascist Republican Party is positioned to win control of the House and has a chance of gaining a majority in the Senate. But demagoguery is not destiny. Progressives can help steer the future in a better direction over the next two months.
We are living in one of the most exciting times in the history of independent documentary. The entire field is undergoing massive shifts in form, interface, technology, conceptualization, use, and topics.
It’s not an easy time for young people. Everywhere we turn, we’re faced with grim news: racism; sexism; homophobia; xenophobia; gun violence; nuclear armament . . . and the one gargantuan threat hovering like a specter above all ills: climate change.
There has been much chatter about Serena Williams’ decision to exit tennis. I want to think about the contextual and impactful surround of her decision — to enlarge her family and choose pregnancy.
Wars are ubiquitous in the everyday lives of people who imagine themselves living in peace. Yet, it is easy not to see them — wars are made to be beautiful, especially when frequently served with breakfast.
Whether or not Google’s chatbot is sentient, we — the social we — are both its tutors and its clients. We need to take responsibility for the words we leave behind.
We live in a moment when infotainment may be our readiest access to and avenue for expressing responses to political crises. But what is that doing for us? The more I look at these memes, the more I see them subsuming Penny’s story.
Higher education must have at its core the transformation of students, faculty, disciplines, and the world through discussion, community, and debate. In its decline, it is now about transactions.
